Tag Archives: weather

I have the pleasure of living in warm and sunny weather most of the time. Unfortunately, this past week, I experienced nothing but torrential rain and thunderstorms.

Believe me, it wasn't as cool as the depiction in the DC comic books.

During a brief breaking point in the downpours, and out of desperation for some sunlight and outdoor stimulation, I decided to go out into the lawn and do some gardening (I know, it wasn’t my finest moment).

Standing in sheets of mud, while a slight drizzle came down over me, I used a gardening hoe to dig up some weeds.

After a while, the rain got heavier, and the sound of thunder boomed overhead. My neighbors stared at me through their windows with looks of disbelief, as if I was a complete lunatic, and they were witnessing the final escapades of a soon-to-be mental patient.

I decided to call it quits before someone reported me. The fear of raising a metal gardening hoe into the air and being struck by lightning was another compelling reason to cease operations.

When I got back into the house, soaking wet from the storm, the hubby quipped: “Done already? Geez, are you gonna melt in a little rain?”

I annoyingly said back to him: “Excuse me, there is thunder and lightning out there. I was swinging a metal tool in the air. I don’t think it’s safe.”

He replied: “It has a wooden handle. You’ll be fine.”

I rolled my eyes at him, and his speculative faith in a simple wooden handle, and I exclaimed: “You gotta be kidding me!”

Bolts of electricity can travel at over 100,000 miles per hour, and they can get as hot as 30,000 degrees Celsius. If something like that came down and hit the top of my gardening hoe (a mere 8-inch by 6-inch metal rectangle), I don’t think I’d be “fine.” I’d probably experience a massive heart attack while simultaneously getting charred to a smoking crisp. Or, at minimum, I’d be knocked on my ass and suffer serious electrical burns.

Yes, kind of like this illustration by Tim Harries.

The point is, never tell your partner it’s okay to go outside in a storm, unless you want to deal with their wrath in addition to nature’s fury never assume you’ll be “fine” standing outside in severe weather, unless you’re Superman. Even well-trained scientists, who test the electrical properties of lightning and lightning theories, take precautions.

We Reserve the Right to Release the Hounds

Best Blog Quote

from Liza Pierce's blog post "Ten Reasons to Visit Leilani Farm Sanctuary" Frankly, I'm sold on #6. What better reason is there?
"Your visit will (include) about an hour of gentle exercise, as you visit all the animals, including our charming and playful goats. As our bumper sticker says, 'My Kid is a Goat!' You can even take one home if you like (Not a goat, a bumper sticker!)"